Cinders in the Dark
by Artemis Faery
Summary: Sequel to 'From the Ashes' Thorin and Kyona are a year into married life and Erebor has almost returned to its former glory, everything is as it should be. That is, until a life changing surprise comes their way. But that isn't the only thing Kyona is worried about, there have been evil things lurking in the shadows, things that want revenge.
1. Haunted Past

**If you have not read the first story: ****_'From the Ashes' _****I highly recommend that you do. This story will make no sense if read out of context. You have been warned.**

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**Cinders in the Dark**

**Chapter One**

** Haunting Past**

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The world around her was cold and dark, Kyona felt cluster-phobic. Something was following her in the stone tunnels which had become familiar to her in the past year. Her breath came in shallow gasps; there was a sound of metal scraping against stone. She was running now, running deeper into the mountain. But then she collided with cold stone, she felt around the walls, she was trapped in a stone tomb. Kyona cried out in frustration, and pounded the walls with her fists. The jaw jarring scraping of rock and metal stopped behind her, she turned slowly to face her attacker.

Around the edge of the tomb's door was a hook, and it was attached to a pale arm. Azog's pale form slid around the corner of the door. A malicious grin on his face, he came forward. He held something in his hand, it was a – _a head. _A ragged sob escaped Kyona's throat, it was Thorin's. Azog grinned.

**"You failed, you failed to kill me, you failed to protect your people, and you failed to protect your husband. And to ****_think _****that if you had told him he may have survived," **Azog gloated.

Kyona cried out in misery as he tossed the severed head to the ground, '_Azog' _carved in his forehead. The pale orc brandished Fang and came towards her, prepared to end her life.

-oOo-

Kyona shot up in bed, her body was covered by a sheet of cold sweat. For over a year now the nightmares had been plaguing her sleep. She looked to the sleeping dwarf beside her, his chest fell steadily. Thorin had started to grow his beard out longer; he now had a braid coming from his chin with a silver clasp at the end. It gave him such a kingly air. Kyona wiped the sweat from her brow and slid out of bed. It was early autumn and it had been a very warm year, making the royal couple leave their balcony door open. It was early dawn and the sun had not yet risen.

The queen leaned onto the stone balcony, her now shoulder length hair was tossing in the cool morning wind. She took a deep breath through her nose, calming her worries for the moment. It was silly, really. She didn't know why she was so worried! Azog couldn't attack them in Erebor, he wasn't that stupid. Kyona sighed, pulling her grey robe tighter around her and stepping back inside. She immediately noticed that Thorin was no longer in bed.

"You're up early," Thorin's deep voice rumbled from the other side of the room.

He was partially dressed in his kingly attire, he still needed to dawn his coat and crown.

She smiled fondly at him.

"Only a few minutes before you!"

"Aye," he gave her a fond smile in return. "I have never been good at accusing you."

She gave a small tinkling laugh and remembered the times when he had accused her for being awake. One of which was the time he gave her the betrothal bead that was still fastened securely into her hair. Her fingers went to absentmindedly rolling the silver bead around. The past year had been trying on them. Some of the dwarves hadn't liked the idea of a human queen… but after a time they came to accept her. There was also the issue of Daín, Thorin's cousin; he had strongly objected Thorin as king and Kyona as his queen. But suddenly, after a month of pestering and arguing, the dwarves of the Iron Hills packed up and went home. It was still somewhat of a mystery to the dwarves of Erebor.

Little did they know their queen had been the one who 'persuaded' him to leave. Now if anyone had known what she had actually done they would have been aghast in horror that their queen had pinned the king of the Iron Hills to a wall with a knife and threatened him. Thorin had the suspicion that Kyona had something to do with the sudden fleeing of his cousin – but he hadn't brought it up.

Erebor was a mess. The dragon had ruined many of the once fair halls. It took a great many skilled dwarves and much of their time in order to repair the ancient city. But after a year the city was almost returning to its previous glory.

But another thing weighed heavy on Kyona's mind. Kíli. The young dwarf had been swallowed in sorrow. He barely talked anymore, he rarely ate, and he _never _smiled. And to say the least it broke their hearts to see the once happy and carefree price so down trodden. He would often shoot his bow into a target for hours and hours, until his finger were bruised and bleeding. And when they tried to help him, he would just shake his head and turn away.

"Kyona, Kyona!" Thorin said, looking at his wife.

"Hmm? Oh, I must have gotten lost in my thoughts." She mused before walking briskly to her wardrobe.

She pursed her lips as she looked at these grand _ridiculous _gowns she had to wear. You would think that after a year the seamstresses would know that these fifty pound ball gowns did not suit the queen's everyday taste. She pushed all the heavy gowns aside and saw a few light dresses which had been gifts from Karri. She often wrote her curly haired friend. It had come to her attention that once karri had departed with the elves to Mirkwood she had fallen deeply in love with the elven general, Endellion. Matter of fact, they were married soon after and were expecting a baby any day now. Kyona smiled at the thought of her friend as she grabbed an orange and grey dress.

She tossed the dress over her shoulder in a most unladylike fashion and walked to the privacy shade. The young queen slipped out of her night clothes and put the elven made dress on. She smoothed out the wrinkles in the dress and stepped out from behind the shade. Thorin stood in front of her, his full kingly outfit adorned.

"You still prefer those elvish dresses of the ones made here in Erebor?" He grumbled.

"You try walking around in a fifty pound dress with diamonds sewed onto the entire surface!"

"It is what you deserve, a dress made of the finest things Erebor has to offer," He came forward and stroked her hair.

"Thorin, it is uncomfortable and makes me itchy. I will not be wearing those things on a daily bases!" She complained with a roll of her eyes.

"You may have to when my sister arrives. I am still not entirely sure how she will react to our marriage,"

Oh. That's right, Dís was coming soon.

Kyona swallowed.

"Well, I hope she doesn't mind my distaste of dwarven dresses!"

"We will have to wait and see," Thorin murmured as he kissed her forehead. "Now, we have a kingdom waiting," He turned and grabbed the two crowns resting on pedestals by the door.

He put his on and handed Kyona her circlet. She sighed and put the circlet on, it had started to become a pain, whenever she would move quickly it was dislodge and she would have to re adjust it. It was quite a nuisance. Kyona took a deep breath to gain her queenly composure before she stepped from their room, striding beside her husband.

The royal couple walked to the main dining hall of the palace where she knew the other members of the company would be eating a rather rambunctious breakfast. The two guards standing by the giant doors snapped to attention and gave hurried bows before they opened the door. Inside – just as Kyona had predicted – the members of the company were all laughing, shouting, and eating. Several of them noticed the king and queen and raised their mugs and cheered. These were the only dwarves in Erebor who would address Thorin by his first name and not by 'King' or 'Your Majesty'.

Kyona smiled at them and sat down on the smaller throne at the head of the table, right beside Thorin's grander one. She looked before her and saw: tea, fruit, and a honey glazed roll. Bombur knew her so well. Her smile grew larger as she looked around the table at each and every dwarf. Dwalin had taken the job of captain of the guard, Balin was Thorin's head advisor, Óin was the royal healer, Bombur was in charge of the kitchens, Ori was his scribe, Dori was the head scribe's personal guard, Gloin was the head of construction and the rebuilding of Erebor, Bofur and Bifur had taken the cherished rolls of royal toy makers, and Nori was a freeloader. But there was someone missing…

Kíli.

Kyona sighed into the gulp of tea she was about to consume. He had been missing meals a lot as of late, and it worried her. She was very serious about being his aunt and if he wasn't eating properly she felt as if she had failed the roll of his female protector. The queen gathered her skirts and picked up her mug of tea and the roll. Thorin gave her a questioning look. She looked to the empty chair that was at their right hands. He gave a small look of frustration before nodding. The queen quickly exited the room, heading for the training halls.

The roll was gone and her tea was half sipped before she got to the training halls. The sound of arrows sinking into a target greeted her ears, she sighed and walked in. Kíli stood as if in a trance shooting arrows with frightening accuracy into the target's center. He looked as if he was concentrating hard so she stood quietly behind him until he had finished shooting that round of arrows.

"I know you're there, Kyona," He murmured, shouldering his bow.

"I wasn't trying to hide from you," Kyona said, walking to his side.

"Why are you here? Can't I practice in peace?" His voice was frustrated.

"You missed breakfast again today."

A flash of confusion came across his eyes.

"It's breakfast already?"

"Yes Kíli, you have been practicing for hours," Kyona put a hand on his shoulder and guided him from the room.

"Does she know?" He asked suddenly.

"Does who know?"

"My mother, does she know that I failed, that I failed to protect Fíli?" Emotion was thick in the young dwarf's voice.

Kyona's mouth was open but no words came from her lips.

"I don't believe she has been informed of Fíli's death or Thorin and I's marriage." She said after a moment.

"Good, it would break her heart," Kíli nodded.

"Kíli, she has to find out eventually!"

"I know, it's just – not yet." He sighed.

"Alright, as you wish. But you have to promise me you'll eat this morning?" She gave him a stern look.

The barest hint of a smile touched his lips.

"As you wish, Auntie,"

She rolled her eyes and gave him a soft slap on the back.

"You had better get up there! I wouldn't put it past Bombur to eat all the leftovers,"

Kíli pulled ahead of her, the realization that he was actually famished had made him eager to eat. Kyona smiled as he bounded up the hall like an excited dwarfling. In truth she was very nervous about meeting Thorin's sister. She had no idea what to expect. _'She raised Fíli and Kíli; she can't be all that bad!' _She told herself then.

She picked up the pace and was about to round a corner when a bent figure appeared in front of her. It was Chillive. The old creepy dwarf from the weapon archives. His insane blue gaze held hers for a moment. Then he gave her the smallest nod before limping away. Every time she saw that dwarf it made her nervous, something wasn't right about him. And it wasn't on Kyona's top priority list to find out what.

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**Well, here is the first chapter! I would like to say that there will be a lot less action in this story than there was in Ashes. I hope you will review, follow and favorite, it makes my day! :)**

**Also, tomorrow I am going to be at a week long summer camp where I won't have internet or a computer to write on. So don't expect another update this week!**

**Do go read the AN that was just uploaded to the previous story 'From the Ashes' (you may have already). It has a link to my deviantArt account with pictures of Kyona and other characters that will be in this story. **

**Thank you for reading :)**

**-Artemis- **


	2. Unexpected Developements

**Hey, hey, HEY! The professional procrastinator is back! *Bad poker face* Yeah, I've been editing Ashes and working on a secret project… Completely ignoring the fic I want to have finished by December…**

**Anyways, you guys are awesome! :D I got so many follows and favorites it made me tear up! But yet, only a few reviews :/ I am open to constructive criticism as well; just don't be rude, that is unacceptable. The more reviews I get the faster I update… Seriously, REVIEW!**

**Enjoy the chapter! :D**

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**Chapter Two**

**Unexpected Developments**

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Soft rays of sunshine filtered into the room as Kyona shifting in her sleep. A yawn woke her up completely. She lay there for a moment… something wasn't right. Kyona sat up like lightning and looked around – Thorin wasn't there. The covers were thrown from her feet as she dashed to the balcony door. The sun was fully risen and it seemed to be mid morning.

She had slept in.

She _never_ slept in.

Suddenly a wave of nausea hit her; she rushed to the rail and vomited over the balcony side, wincing when she realized that it could have hit someone.

Something was definitely wrong.

She swallowed the vile taste in her mouth and made her way over to the pitcher of water. She drank the water greedily, swishing it around to rid her mouth of stomach fluids. She looked in the mirror in front of her. Her hair was tossed from sleep and her face was drawn with nausea. Kyona stripped down from her nightgown and examined her body. Everything seemed normal till she saw her stomach. A small almost non noticeable bump was there. She snorted angrily, that would be remedied quickly. Kyona was very adamant about physical fitness. Any bit of fat would be worked away from her body.

Kyona slid on the most simple and flowing gowns she could find and rushed down to the meal hall. The guards opened the doors for her. The smell of food hit her and made her very nauseous; she leaned on a stone chair. The remaining members of the company looked at her with worry. Her husband was one of them.

"Kyona love, are you alright?" He got up and came to her side.

"Fine," She managed to say.

"Lassie, you look ill and ye were late for breakfast!" Bofur noted with concern.

"I said I was fine!" She snapped, making the dwarves silent. "Now," She straightened her dress. "I believe everyone has duties to attend to and I am certain fussing over me is not one of them."

The dwarves muttered in worry as they got up and left the room. It was only Thorin and Balin left in the room.

"Are you hungry?" Thorin asked, holding her shoulders tenderly.

The very thought of food made Kyona's stomach twist.

"No, I'm not in the mood for food right now." She gave a weak smile.

"You always eat breakfast," Thorin muttered, looking her up and down for illness.

"I don't want to eat right now, Thorin." She said, her patience wearing thin.

Thorin looked somewhat hurt; his wife was rather moody today. _'Must be her time of month.' _He mused. But yet, she would always eat more during that time, she never lost her appetite.

"We will see Óin if that – "

"Honestly Thorin! I'm perfectly fine!" She snarled pulling out of his loving grasp and leaning against the table.

Thorin pulled back and blinked. She hadn't talked at him like that since she was still loyal to Azog. Her breaths were ragged and her brow was sweaty.

"Kyona, you aren't alright, you need to see Óin." Balin cut in.

She glared at them both, it sent unpleasant memories through both dwarves.

"If _either _of you tell Óin I will not be pleased!" She almost hissed.

"Lass, Dís will be here very soon, I wouldn't be surprised if she got here today or earlier tomorrow morning." Balin said.

"I will be alright. Go bother yourselves with the preparations." She had a hand on her abdomen as she practically hobbled from the room.

Thorin gave a low growl of annoyance.

"I need to know what this is all about." The king under the mountain told his advisor as he strode after his wife.

She was half way down the hall when she slid to the floor. Thorin sprinted towards her.

"Kyona! Love, are you alright?" Thorin was by her side, scooping her up into his arms.

Her eyes were tired.

"Thorin, do you mind taking me to bed?" She groaned.

Thorin smirked.

"Of course, although I don't think you're able to – "

"THORIN DAMMIT THIS ISN'T A JOKE!" She yelled, her complexion turning a bit green.

Without another word or hesitation he picked her up bridal style and carried her to their room. He lay her down on the large bed and stroked the hair from her forehead. She shivered and curled up into the covers, her breaths evening out into sleep. Thorin watched his wife sleep with a creased brow. Something was wrong and he didn't like it. He would summon Óin when she woke. But then he heard the faint sound of the gate horns being blown.

Dís was here.

He sighed and looked to his wife once more before kissing her forehead and leaving the room. He had a sister to greet.

-oOo-

A bubble of dread was floating around in Thorin's stomach as he waited in the throne room for his sister. He had promised her to keep Fíli and Kíli safe. But he had failed, Fíli was dead and Kíli was emotionally unstable. He swallowed as the doors of the throne room opened and his sister, flanked by three guards, walked in. She had aged. Streaks of grey matched Thorin's curly onyx hair. Her face wore wrinkles of sadness and pain. Loosing Fíli had broken her beyond repair.

"Thorin," Her voice was strong as always.

"Dís," He gave a soft smile.

"Where is Kíli?" Her face remained expressionless.

"I believe he is training. Let me walk with you." Thorin came down to his sister's side, holding an arm out for her. She took it, her steel blue eyes not meeting with his identical ones.

"How is he?" The words were strained with unshed tears.

"He is managing. Kyona has been with him quite a bit – "

"Who is Kyona?" Dís asked.

Mahal above, she didn't know he was married.

Thorin cleared his throat.

"My wife,"

Dís looked at him as if he'd grown a second head. Then slowly, the smallest of grins touch her red lips.

"So finally the bachelor king has taken a bride, I though you swore to never marry?" The light of a teasing sibling in her eyes.

He looked down with a fond smile.

"That was before I met her."

"And how did you meet her? Kyona isn't a dwarven name." Dís asked.

Oh Aulë. How was he going to answer this one?

"Well, she isn't a dwarf, she is human."

Dís looked utterly shocked.

"Thorin, I don't know what to say!"

"You don't need to say anything." Thorin muttered.

"A human Thorin? Honestly, you will outlive her! I cannot imagine your pain if she passes long before your time!" Concern filled his sister's voice.

"She is quite young; by the time she grows old our times will be the same." Thorin reassured her.

"Where is she?" Dís asked.

"She is resting; she hasn't been feeling well today."

"Pity, I wish to meet her soon." She exclaimed.

By that time the sound of a bow and arrow releasing and hitting a target came to their ears. Dís' arm tightened. They turned into the training room where Kíli was relentlessly shooting the target. The dwarf woman let go of Thorin's arm as soon as she saw her son.

"Kíli!" She cried.

At the sound of his mother's voice the archer dropped his bow and ran to his mother. They embraced. They held onto another tightly. Then Thorin heard Kíli muttering something.

"I'm so sorry mother, I failed him. I couldn't protect him mother!" Kíli was now sobbing the words out.

"Shhhh, hush Kíli. I know you did everything you could." Dís rubbed circles on his back.

"But it wasn't enough! Fíli is gone!" He choked out.

"Kíli, hush, you're alive and that is what matters." Dís pulled away and cupped her son's cheek.

Mother and son stood there for a moment.

"I don't where I would be if it wasn't for Ky." Kíli smiled softly at the thought of his aunt.

"I need to meet this mysterious Kyona. I didn't know your uncle had married until just a few moments ago!" She turned and smiled to her brother.

"She is a fantastic aunt." Then Kíli's brow furrowed. "Thorin, where was she at breakfast today? I went just for her."

"She hasn't been feeling well today. The thought of food made her nauseous." Thorin replied.

"Let her rest. A sick, tired woman is a force to be reckoned with." Dís said as she led her son by the room.

"Now, I need to hear – in vivid detail – about your daring quest to reclaim the mountain." Dís said to her son and brother.

-oOo-

The trio of Durin dwarves had retired to a comfortable sitting room. It was there that Thorin and Kíli relayed the entire story of their journey.

Dís sat back in her chair. She was beyond words. Her sister in law was raised by orcs, and not just any orcs, Azog the Defiler, the orc who had caused the deaths her grandfather, brother, and son. Everything she had learned was swirling around in her mind.

"Don't worry; she is completely orcish–thinking free!" Kíli told her, a worried smile on his face.

"I am sure, your uncle wouldn't have married her otherwise!" Dís sighed.

The more and more she heard about Kyona the more and more she wanted to meet her. But she didn't have to wait long. The sound of someone clumsily opening the door made them look its way. In came the exact opposite looking girl Dís had pictured in her mind. She had imagined red curls, blue eyes and a haunted look. Not a calm, cool, collected woman with shoulder length brown hair and a soul-reading grey gaze. She was quite beautiful, Dís noticed. She could tell she wasn't feeling well, her face seemed tight with a strain Dís knew well.

"Kyona, meet my sister, Dís." Thorin introduced with a smile.

The dwarf woman noticed how warm Thorin's eyes became when his beloved came into the sitting room. He was truly in love.

"Kyona, I have heard much about you!" Dís smiled.

A flicker of worry passed through Kyona's eyes.

"And I of you, Lady Dís." She said politely.

"Oh hush now, its Dís to you, dear." Dís smiled.

Kyona had a calm even tone that had a rather odd accent hinted in its depths. She liked the girl already. The young queen smiled at the older dwarf woman.

"Now, Thorin, Kíli, we have things to discuss!" She told the men.

They didn't move.

"I don't bite, no harm will come from a little girl talk."

Thorin snorted and was about to object.

"Don't even start, Oakenshield." Dís warned.

The Durin boys sighed and stood to leave the room. But Thorin guided his wife to the chair he had previously occupied.

"How are you feeling?" Dís heard Thorin whisper to her.

"Better than earlier. I am sorry for snapping at you." She said back to him.

"It's alright, love." Thorin kissed her chastely before leaving the room.

Once the door shut Dís turned to Kyona.

"He loves you so much," She smiled.

Kyona smiled, touching the bead that hung from the long braid from over her left shoulder.

"Aye, and I am quite fond of him as well."

"So tell me, I would like to know your story form your point of view."

Kyona let out a nervous chuckled.

"Are you sure? I am sure Thorin has filled you in…"

"No, I want to hear it from you. I have never heard of a human, let alone a woman, being raised by orcs."

Kyona sighed and began her tale.

"You could say the only reason I survived was because of my mother. She was a cruel loveless woman and she favored my brothers over me. Because of her cold parenting I was already cold and heartless. When the orcs took me in… I embraced it. I held no resentment towards Azog or any of the other orcs. I thought I had found my true side. And since I had never known love, I didn't know what hit me when I met Thorin…"

-oOo-

Kyona looked weary when she finished her tale. Dís had gained a new respect for the young woman beside of her.

"You are quite a woman, Kyona," Dís said, her voice soft as she lay a hand on Kyona's shoulder. "And I am not sure if my brother is worthy of you." A playful smile came to Dís' lips.

Kyona laughed, the thought that her husband wasn't worthy of her was a ridiculous notion in her mind.

"So have you thought about having children?" Dís asked.

Kyona paled.

"N-no, it isn't a good idea for me to be a mother." Kyona said.

"Oh nonsense, every woman has the instinct to be a mother!"

"Except my mother," Kyona murmured.

"Well, there _are _the few women who aren't ideal mothers… But from I have heard from Kíli you're almost like a second mother to him!" Dís reassured.

"And what if I turn out just like her?" Kyona sighed.

"I have confidence that you will be a wonderful mother one day." Dís smiled.

"Thank you, Dís. I've needed a woman to speak with. A company of dwarven men isn't exactly the best of advisors on this matter." Kyona said lightly.

"I am glad to be of help. Now, I know you aren't feeling well and it would do you good to see Óin."

"But –"

"No buts, for your worried husband you need to see Óin." Dís said in a stern tone.

Kyona sighed.

"Fine, for Thorin's sanity I will go see Óin." She stood while rubbing her stomach.

"Good, I expect to see you at dinner." Dís smiled as the young queen.

But then the dwarf woman's eyes narrowed, the way Kyona was cradling her stomach was an all too familiar gesture to her. It reminded her of when she discovered she was pregnant with Fíli. A small grin came to Dís' face.

"Why I do believe I am going to be an aunt sooner than they expected." She smiled to herself.

-oOo-

Kyona wasn't pleased. This whole 'going to see Óin' business was getting on her nerves! Couldn't they all tell that she was fine? It was just a small virus. _'But you've never felt this way before.' _A little voice in the back of her head said. She had notified Óin and Thorin that she was going to get checked out. At that moment she was lying down onto the bed with no amount of caution.

Just then Thorin came in, he looked worried.

"Are you alright?" He said, coming to her side.

"I am fine. Your sister convinced me to see a healer, even though I'm perfectly fine."

Thorin smiled.

"She was always good at convincing people."

"I like her." Kyona smirked.

"I knew you and her would get along." Thorin sighed, acknowledging the fact that Kyona and his sister were quite alike.

The sound of the door opening and Óin coming in made the royal couple look his way.

"So ye finally decided to get looked at." The old half-deaf healer chuckled.

Kyona met it with a halfhearted glare.

He came over to her left side.

"So, what were you feeling like earlier?" He asked.

"I slept in first off, then as soon as I got up I vomited, then I couldn't eat and I felt faint." Kyona said in a clipped tone.

Óin was stroking his beard with one hand. She could have sworn she heard him mutter something like 'About time' under his breath.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Since this morning."

"I need to take a look at yer stomach, Thorin, if you wouldn't mind." He said.

The old healer turned away. Thorin lifted her dress up to just below her breast and pulled the blanket over her legs. Óin turned back around and began to examine her stomach. In a strictly healer fashion her felt her torso. His hand stopped when he came to the small firm bump below her belly button. Then he must have been finished with his examination because he pulled the dress back over her stomach.

"Will she be alright?" Thorin asked.

Óin chuckled.

"Aye, she'll be just fine. I am surprised she didn't start being nauseous sooner, but every woman is different. The vomiting and lose of appetite should go away within a few months. But the symptoms will be there for about four or five." Óin said.

"What is wrong with her?!" Thorin asked his eyes wide. Kyona was in a similar state.

Óin laughed.

"Ah, laddie, she's pregnant."

At those words Kyona flat out fainted.


	3. Cinder Awoken

**Thank you to all who favorited, followed and reviewed! :) You guys make my day!**

**Also, I keep forgetting to mention this! Go to my profile and there will be a link to my Deviant Art account, there are pictures I have done with the fabulous DollDivine LotR scene maker. If you want to see my visions of the characters, go there and see them :) **

**School has started for me and I don't know what the schedule will go for this story. I would like to update weekly, but that hasn't worked out well. **

**On with the next chapter! You have no idea how excited I am about writing a pregnant Kyona. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**Cinder Awoken**

* * *

The cup of water in Kyona's hand was lax and dripping onto the sheets. She sat propped against many pillows, her eyes staring at the bumps of her feet under the covers. Thorin sat beside her in a chair; they hadn't spoken since Óin left the room.

In fact Kyona couldn't really talk; she was in too much shock. But most of all she was afraid, afraid for the little child growing in her womb. Because she knew something that Thorin didn't, Azog was alive, and the child was of the line of Durin. The pale orc would stop at nothing to kill her baby.

And that was something she couldn't bear to think of.

Thorin gave a shuddering sigh.

"Kyona I –" He stopped.

"Thorin, don't say anything."

The king picked himself up and sat beside her on the bed, taking her hand tenderly. He leaned forward and kissed her with a deep, loving passion.

"This is joyous news, we should be rejoicing. I am to be a father, and an heir will be born to Erebor." Thorin smiled.

"Thorin, you know me, I was raised by orcs, I can't be a mother!" A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Shh, love, you will be a wonderful mother." Thorin gathered the crying woman into his arms.

She let the tears roll down her cheeks onto Thorin's tunic, the couple sat there in peaceful silence. The she sniffed and wiped her eyes, they were red from crying.

"Argh, why am I crying?" She growled.

Thorin smirked softly, and lay a hand on her abdomen. He felt the slightest of bumps there. He grinned, that was his child. He was going to be a father.

"How do we know if it's a boy or girl?" She asked.

"We don't until it is born,"

"Well that's no fun! How will we be prepared?"

"We won't be," Thorin smiled at his wife, she was getting all flustered.

"Ugh, this parenting business is sounding harder and harder!" She flopped back against the wall of pillows behind her, spilling the water all over herself. She said a very loud orcish curse that startled Thorin.

"Ky, I have told you, I do not like it when you speak orcish." He chastised.

"Sorry, instinct." She smiled sheepishly.

"When should we tell the company?" Thorin said, changing subject.

"Sooner rather than later, Óin won't be able to contain himself." Kyona said.

Thorin snorted.

"I would not be surprised if he has already told them."

"Bet they'll be surprised, no one was expecting this."

Then a knock on the door made the couple look that way.

"Come in." Thorin called, his voice gruff.

The doors opened and Dís came in.

"Ah ha! I knew it! I thought you were pregnant!" She grinned as she walked towards the couple.

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Came Kyona's frustrated reply.

Thorin sighed.

"Did Óin tell everyone?"

"No, I intercepted him and gave him a rather stern warning after he told me." Dís smirked as she came to a stop at the end of the bed.

"We'll have to tell them tonight, at dinner." Kyona said.

"Aye, I'm sure they'll be overjoyed." Thorin ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't know why you both look so gloomy! You're going to have a child for Mahal's sake! That is something to be celebrated!" Dís exclaimed.

"I spoke to you of this earlier, Dís. I am afraid of being a mother." Kyona said.

"And I told you that you would make a fantastic mother." Dís reminded the young woman, a twinkle in her eye.

Kyona sighed, tears stinging her eyes.

"Don't cry dear. I will help you along the road of motherhood," The dwarf woman reassured. "Aulë, I raised Fíli, Kíli, _and _Thorin!"

Thorin scoffed and Kyona laughed.

"Alright," She took a shuddering breath. "I will try my best."

-oOo-

The company of Thorin Oakenshield, heroes of the kingdom of Erebor, sat around a long stone table in the grand dining hall of Thrór. They were currently pestering Óin about Kyona. They knew that he had discovered what ailed their queen. But as much as they tried, they could not get any answers out of the old deaf healer.

"C'mon brother, we worry about Kyona! Without the lass who knows where we'd be!" Gloin prompted his brother, his face flushed red from the ale he had consumed.

Óin grinned.

"It's not my place to tell you brother." He replied.

Balin's eyes narrowed as he watched Óin's face for clues. Why would the healer be happy about their ailed queen… _unless. _A smile formed on Balin's face. _Of course. _He chuckled into his mug of ale. A child would do Erebor good, would do Thorin good. The dwarf king had been alone for many years, never taking a spouse or siring a child. Fíli and Kíli were, in a sense, his children. Thorin had poured everything he had into giving them the best life possible. Ered Luin wasn't the finest place the boys could have grown up, but it was better than living in a poverty stricken town of man. It had broken Balin's heart to lose Fíli; it had broken everyone's hearts.

The doors of the dining hall opened and Lay Dís came in, she looked lovely as always. The dwarves cheered and Dori got up from his seat to help her into a chair by the head of the table. Not a moment after that the royal couple came in, arm in arm.

Kyona looked a bit paled, but happy. Thorin looked a little nervous, but his joy was visible. They came to the head of the table and sat down. The dwarves were immediate to start asking her questions about her health. Thorin quieted them and told them to wait till after the meal.

Kyona ate very little, a few bites of soup and some bread. Thorin kept offering things to her but she kept turning them down.

"Well, Kyona, are ye well?" Dwalin said at the end of the meal when the dwarves' plates were cleared and mugs of ale in their hands.

The king and queen looked at one another, before they stood before their friends. Thorin cleared his throat.

"My friends, Kyona is fine but she will be sick for a while longer."

Cries of 'What ails her?' and 'How come?' came from the dwarves.

Kyona took a deep shuddering breath, her eyes looked with Dís', the dwarf woman nodded encouragingly.

"I am with child."

It took a moment for the news to sink in, but when it did all the dwarves were cheering, laughing, and congratulating them. A few even got up to slap Thorin on the back, a couple winked and smirked at him.

"What do ya think it'll be lads? Will it be a prince or a princess?" Dwalin beamed.

"It's far too early to tell." Dís said.

"It won't hurt to guess!" Bofur smiled.

"Probably will be a boy, knowing the Durin line." Dori said, taking a swig from his mug.

"Aye, Lady Dís was the first girl born to the Durin line within memory." Balin said, looking towards Thorin's sister. He noticed that their queen wasn't showing her condition at all.

"Speaking of Durin boys, where is my son?" Dís asked.

The company looked around, murmuring to themselves.

"He's training most likely." Kyona said, breaking the small silence.

Dís sighed.

"I will go find him."

"No," Kyona said. "I will, I want to tell him the news in person."

The dwarf woman nodded and sat back down.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Thorin asked.

"No, I'll be fine." She reassured.

"But lass, you're pregnant, you can't risk –"

"Can't risk what?" Kyona cut Bofur off. "The walls within Erebor are safe, they always will be. A small walk won't do me any harm." She waved their protests away and walked from the hall.

-oOo-

Chillive had been put on the cleaning crew. The cleaning crew was in charge of keeping Erebor cleaned and glowing in the torchlight. And it just so happened that he was cleaning in the training hall. The only person in the room was Prince Kíli. The young dwarf hadn't noticed the old dwarf's presence; he was too absorbed in his archery. That's what Chillive wanted. He wanted to be unnoticed.

So instinctively when the queen came into the training room the old dwarf ducked behind a rack of weapons.

"Kíli, you missed dinner again." She scolded the prince.

"Oh, its dinner already?" He said, coming somewhat out of his daze.

"Yes, and you missed some rather important news."

"What?"

"Kíli, I'm pregnant."

Those two words sent unbelievable anger through Chillive. How dare this human woman carry the line of Durin in her womb? Then he realized this was just the sort of information he was supposed to pass along. He withdrew from the shadows. The traitor hobbled through the vast maze like halls of Erebor till he came to a single room, the room he called home. He went in and took a pack and a heavy cloak. It was a rather long distance he would need to cover.

It was later that evening when Chillive whipped his pony into a canter and rode away from the Lonely Mountain. He had a few days travel at least. But he wouldn't be missed. No one cared for him, actually, no one even liked him. And no one suspected that he was in league with the orcs.

-oOo-

The night air was chill and damp. The sky was hazy and no light from the stars shown through the thick darkness. It was reflecting Azog's mood quite well. Dark, dreary, moody. He had been like that for quite a while actually, ever since Raven had betrayed him. He shut his eyes tightly, the pain from her knife had long since gone but the pain in his heart had not. The one he had trusted most betrayed him, tried to kill him. And for what? The dwarf king who had crippled him, was he sworn enemy, and had destroyed his armies. Azog tried to blame it on Oakenshield, tried to blame him for taking Raven away from him. But he knew, deep down, that it had been her.

She had betrayed him.

He had seen the tears in her eyes, he had heard the words come from her mouth, telling him that she could not let him kill Thorin. Her words had hurt him more than any weapon could.

He had not amassed an army of orcs to attack. Only a few loyal orcs still remained with him. They were a small pack, barely two dozen including Azog. They had only a few wargs to spare. Her betrayal had weakened him; he didn't have the fire to fight for vengeance. Their camp was kept hidden and in place. It was several days journey from Erebor. The pale orc wanted to be close just in case something ever happened.

And something was about to happen.

The sound of faint hoof beats reached his sharp ears. He turned quickly and strode towards the hooves. He listened to the gait, it was a pony. And ponies were ridden by dwarves.

Chillive.

The dwarf was a strange curio for Azog. It was very uncharacteristic for a dwarf to betray his people. The orc was keeping the dwarf under close watch when he came near. Azog's fellow orcs were drawing their weapons. He growled and held his hand out to quiet them. The pony had come into view. Azog's eyes were looking around into the dark trees surrounding the campsite. If Chillive had betrayed him there were sure to be archers.

But it was just the old dwarf. His pony looked worn through; the whites of its eyes were showing at the sight of the wargs. The dwarf was tired looking as well, but he looked excited. He had news.

"Dwarf, what news do you have?" Azog asked. Common felt especially bad on his tongue, he hadn't used it in over a year.

"Game changing." The dwarf got down from his pony, a mad grin on his face.

"Come with me." Azog said. He felt something bubbling in his gut, he was sure if it was fear, excitement, or worry.

The dwarf hobbled after him, they walked to a secluded part of the forest camp. There were jagged boulders in a rough semi circle. A chill breeze came through the trees, blowing the clouds from the sky. A shaft of moonlight came into filtering through the trees. Azog's skin seemed especially pale.

"Well?" he growled.

The dwarf drew a shuddering breath.

"You're not going to like it."

"Spit it out!"

"She's with child."

_What?!_

No.

_No._

_NO!_

It could not be true. Azog turned his back on the dwarf, his pale eyes flicking up to the moon. His Raven, the one he had called daughter, was carrying the child of Thorin Oakenshield. That was his breaking point. That was his last straw. The small cinder in his heart had been re awoken.

The child would die. He could not allow it to live. Not when Raven and Thorin's blood had mixed. The line of Durin would fall. And they would die painfully; he couldn't give them quick, painless deaths.

Raven would watch her child die.

* * *

**Hehe… don't forget dear Azog is still alive. I hope you have enjoyed the story thus far. I will try to update weekly, if not more often. **

**Remember, reviews will remind me that I have a story to continue. The more reviews I get the more inspired I get to continue. I think you get the message. **

**Review ;)**

**-Artemis Faery-**


	4. Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

**Heh… has it been two months? I am SO sorry. Life has attacked me and dragged my creative soul from my body. Thankfully, it is finally winding down and I will have more time to write. I will try to have this story finished by December when a new story shall make its debut ;)**

**Thank you to: Chilled Souls of the Forgotten, wardog85, Guest, HammerHeart3, KneelingAngel, kaia, SieMistra, and Fangirlatyourservice, for reviewing! :) You guys are what reminded me write this chapter. Thank you to those who favorited and followed! Keep up the feedback! I love it! :)**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**Good Things Come to Those Who Wait **

The royal stables of Erebor were dark and shadowed. The few ponies that lived there shifted in their stalls, their breath causing puffs of mist in the cold morning air. It was early, far too early for the stable boys to be up and feeding the ponies. So why was there a cloaked figure going to the largest stall in the partially underground barn? Why that particular stall? Nothing would have seemed strange about it, well, minus the warg sound asleep in a pile of hay.

The figure wore a dark wool cloak, it bore a face mask and it came down to their knees. The figure came to the stall and opened up the heavy latch. They took out a piece of meat from their pocket and tossed to the warg. It opened one eye and grumbled, rolling over in the hay and going back to sleep. The cloaked figure whistled softly to the canine, it didn't respond. This made the figure mad.

"Cainis! Wake up!" They hissed, coming into the stall.

Cainis rolled over on her back with her legs sticking up in the air. Her tail thumped the ground as she took in the scent of her master. The warg missed her morning romps through the rolling hills surrounding Erebor. Her master had been negligent these past few months, ever since that day when she came to her stall in a flurry of excitement and began to talk wildly and show her stomach. Cainis had promptly fallen asleep. The stupidity of humans knew no bounds.

"My, my you've gotten lazy. I need to take you out more often!" The human woman said, rubbing her warg's now soft clean fur.

The warg warbled contentedly.

"But Thorin wouldn't let me out! Ever since I became pregnant he's beenover protective. He will have my head if he finds out about this!" She said while going over to the saddle rack hanging on the wall of the stable. She lifted the saddle off the rack. Cainis' ears perked up and she picked herself up off the ground and shook off the hay. The woman expertly put the saddle onto the excited canine and swung up. She noticed with un-satisfaction that her stomach caused her to be a bit slower than her other, leaner self.

"Ready, girl?" Kyona grinned from underneath the mask.

The warg and rider burst out of the stable and down the cobblestone road that lead to the countryside. The warg was so happy to stretch her legs that she covered quite a bit of ground in a short amount of time. Soon they were frolicking over the sparse landscape. The queen laughed, relishing the cold air biting at her nose and making her eyes water. She felt free for the first time in three months. Kyona leaned down as far as she could with her protruding stomach. She was now six months along with Erebor's future prince or princess.

Óin had predicted that she would birth a boy; everyone (except Kíli) thought it to be a boy, even Kyona and Thorin. Dís had explained to her that very few girls were born to dwarves, matter of fact, she had been the first daughter born to the line of Durin in a very long time. Kyona was very happy with a son. Girls had the chance of being prissy and high maintenance. A firstborn son would do well for the line of Durin. The queen tried to look at the positive sides of the being a mother. But every time she would hear a cold voice in the back of her head: _'A son, a son that Azog can kill, he will kill your son, your, husband, and your nephew. The line of Durin will end.' _

It made her shiver. The voice, she had come to realize, was the voice of her former self, Raven, the cold, heartless girl who would kill without question. She knew that it would never leave her. Her life was still influenced by her upbringing. Kyona was well aware that she should tell Thorin of her knowledge of Azog's being alive. But the voice would always say: _'He will think you weak, a failure. You can't tell him, he will hate you for what you have failed to do.' _

Kyona realized that the water streaming down her cheeks was not just from the cold wind, tears of fear were mixed in. Cainis was breathing heavy and the sun was rising. She would need to return to the mountain. She turned Cainis towards the looming shadow. They returned within ten minutes. They burst into the barn, almost running over a stable boy. Cainis bounded for her stall and Kyona dismounted in mid stride, balancing herself on a nearby stall. She grinned and straightened herself. Talking off her hood and mask, Kyona made her way over to the stall where Cainis was rolling in the hay trying to get her saddle off.

"Come here, girl." Kyona laughed.

The warg sprung up and allowed her master to take off her saddle.

"M-my lady queen?" A timid voice said from behind her.

She spun around to see an adolescent dwarf boy standing there with a bucket of meat. The queen smiled, this was Cainis' caretaker. The young dwarf had bright red hair and a wispy beard. His cheeks were covered with pimples and his eyes were a kindly hazel.

"Yes, young one?" She replied.

"I-I've brought your warg her breakfast."

"Thank you, I am sure she will want it."

Kyona took a small moment to examine the stall. Everything was fresh and tidy, even the warg.

"You are doing a wonderful job with her care," Kyona said.

The young dwarf's face lit up.

"Thank you, my lady! It took a while for her to trust me enough to feed her. She doesn't mind me anymore."

"Aye, I am glad, I have not the time to care for her myself." Kyona rubbed her stomach for emphasis.

"It is my honor, your majesty." He bowed and entered the stall. He dumped the bucket of raw meat into Cainis' dish. The warg dug into her meal with gusto. Kyona smiled, then nodded to the stable boy before exiting the stall.

She knew that she was playing with fire going on a ride with Cainis, Thorin would be furious.

-oOo-

Thorin woke that morning to find his wife missing from beside him. He immediately jumped out of bed and searched the room. His panic rose when he realized she was not in there. The king dashed to the balcony doors, he flung them open and looked over the landscape. There was nothing but the bleak rolling hills. A click and a creak of a door and her spun around to see Kyona coming in through the door.

"Kyona! Where were you? You had me worried sick!" Thorin ran forward and embraced his wife, the feel of her swelled stomach pressing against him. He smiled as he took in her scent and rested a hand on their growing child.

"I was out…" She replied vaguely.

His hands rested on her shoulders as he took in her appearance. She was in her riding gear; her hair was wild and her nose red. She had been out on the warg.

"What did I say about riding the warg?"

She sighed.

"You can't keep me cooped up here forever. I need to be free, Thorin."

"Our child is growing in your womb, I cannot risk his life."

"I have ridden Cainis countless times, this time was no different! Poor thing is just like me, cooped up inside, unable to go free! She hates it, _I _hate it!"

It was Thorin's turn to sigh.

"You've never acted this way before," She snapped.

"It is because I am afraid," He admitted. "I have never been through something like this before, and I-I do not want to lose it,"

Kyona sighed and embraced her husband.

"I understand this; I'm afraid too, but please, don't keep me locked up all the time"

He kissed her deeply in apology. Their intimacy hadn't been as strong as it was before she became pregnant. And she missed it. But her swollen belly would get in the way and Thorin was convinced it would somehow hurt the baby. She sighed against his chest, enjoying this rare moment of peace. Her belly fluttered with a thumping sensation. She lay her hand on her stomach and grinned.

"Thorin, the baby is kicking,"

Thorin lay his much larger hand on top of hers, smiling when he felt the baby moving within her womb. Kyona could have sworn she saw his eyes mist over.

"Our son." Thorin muttered into her hair.

-oOo-

Kyona had succumbed to her husband's wishes and not gone riding on the warg. That didn't mean she had stopped visiting her completely. She learned that the stable boys name was Emmer, son of Emmeral and he had a sister named Emerald (but they just called her Emmy). He adored Cainis almost as much as Kyona did, that brought joy to the queen's heart.

Dís had taken it upon herself to teach Kyona feminine things like sewing, poetry, calligraphy. These were not exactly Kyona's sort of hobbies. She grudgingly went along with it till she stuck herself with a needle one too many times. Thankfully, her sister-in-law realized that these were things that Kyona would not excel at.

Instead she realized that the queen was far more interested in learning about dwarvish culture and war history. Kyona had been taking reading lessons with Ori to improve her below average reading skills. The queen spent hours a day pouring over ancient history texts, learning all she could. Anything to take her mind off of Azog's shadow, to let her forget that she was bringing a child into the world, a child that the pale orc could find and kill in the future.

Erebor's library was built on the very edge of the inside of the mountain, making it ideal for windows. Giant windows stretched from floor to ceiling. High maroon curtains were drawn at their sides. The light fell into the musty library and gave light to the desks that lined the floor. This was actually one of the only places that the dragon had not touched. It had made all dwarven scribes rejoice when they found that these priceless texts had not been lost.

The Queen Under the Mountain sat at one of these tables, many scrolls littered around her and some over her belly. The day outside was stormy and gray. Flashes of lightning would illuminate the library and rolls of thunder would make Kyona look up from her scrolls to the world outside. She rubbed her eyes, she had been reading for hours.

The sound of someone entering through the large, carven oak doors had escaped her notice as she read over a particularly difficult piece of text.

"I never thought I would be the one calling you for dinner, Auntie," The playful voice of Kíli said from behind her.

She jumped at the sound of his sudden voice.

"Kíli, you startled me!" She turned to her nephew and glared.

He had a mischievous smirk. This made Kyona's heart sing, she hadn't seen him like that ever since his brother died.

"You have Thorin all worked up, he's not very happy about you being late for dinner,"

"Its dinner time already?" Kyona looked off through the window into the fading light of day.

Kíli had a very smug look on his face. She noticed with some satisfaction that his beard had begun to thicken.

"Don't say a word, mister. I have an excuse to be late, I am pregnant!" Kyona straightened her shoulders and lifted her nose in the air indignantly.

Kíli came over and laid a hand on her protruding stomach. He was the only one she allowed to regularly do this besides Thorin (and Óin for medical reasons). Ever since she had become pregnant he had been much more lighthearted and happy. The baby was already bringing him joy.

"How is my little cousin coming along?" He grinned when the baby wiggled under his touch.

"He's doing well, very active,"

"Kyona, honestly, when are you going to realize that it's a girl?" Kíli said.

She huffed.

"A mother knows, Kíli. It's going to be a baby boy! You need to get that into your head!"

Kíli grinned again and hopped up.

"I don't think so. I'll see you at dinner!" Kíli then proceeded to bounce out of the library.

Kyona shook her head and stood up. She stretched her cramped legs and rubbed her stomach, smiling as she felt her baby moving around inside of her. Over the past few months she had become comfortable with the thought of a child, well, more specifically, a son. But none the less she couldn't wait to get this thing out of her body. It was a hassle to deal with the large stomach and everyone treating her like glass. She wasn't accustomed to that.

Dresses, thank Aulë, were gifts from Karri. They were light and airy, very comfortable for someone with a growing stomach. She had learned that Karri had give birth to a daughter, her name was Alixmara. The two friends were already joking about arranging marriages between their children, if Kyona gave birth to a son. In truth, Kyona missed her curly haired friend. But she knew she was very happy with the elves and Kyona didn't think that either kingdoms wanted much contact with one another. Especially if the dwarven queen went to Mirkwood, she would have a dozen dwarves declaring war if she would get as much as a bug bite.

-oOo-

Dinner went as usual for the company and the royals. Kyona had lost the nausea and was eating for two. But she was very particular about what she ate, and very moody. She craved certain things at certain times. And if she didn't get them then, well, it is best not to say. Bombur had taken it upon himself to stuff as much food as he could into Kyona. He said he wanted her and the baby to be nice and healthy, _'You mean fat…' _Kyona would always think.

The topic at supper was the new mine that could possibly open up in an un-mined section of the mountain.

"They say that there are chances of ebony-onyx*, sapphire…" Kyona's mind buzzed as Dwalin named countless other types of precious stones.

"I believe that will be a prosperous investment, I will sign the permission to start digging." Thorin answered.

Cheers rose from the company.

"Erebor is on its way to its former glory!" Gloin said.

"Aye, but it will never be the same without the Arkenstone." Balin said.

The company silenced at this. Kyona took a drink, hoping that no one saw the blood drain from her face.

"We don't even know where the stone could be," Dwalin growled. "If I find out that those filthy tree shaggers stole it from us I'll –"

"That's enough, brother," Balin silenced his brother before the tall dwarf could become anymore enraged. "Where ever it is and who ever has it, obviously does not want to be found. And though it is the pride of our people, I believe that there are positives to its disappearance. We all remember what became of Thorin when he became obsessed with it." Balin said.

Thorin's expression darkened as he remembered the gold sickness.

"I agree with Balin. If the stone was returned we do not know what it would do to our minds. I have been wary of entering the treasury." Thorin muttered, taking a drink from his ornate tankard.

Kyona felt Kíli's gaze on her, she was somewhat aware that he knew she and Thranduil had struck a deal under Thorin's dire circumstances. But for some reason he had not spoke of it to anyone. Kyona was perfectly content with this. She didn't necessarily want the dwarves to know she had given the Arkenstone to the elven lord who had imprisoned them.

"Never mind this; we have better things to celebrate." Balin said. "A toast, to the new mine, and the future heir of Erebor!" The old dwarf lifted his glass and the rest followed in suit.

Kyona raised her glass of grape juice with the others. She drank much daintier than the dwarves who let the excess liquid run down their beards (minus Thorin who kept his kingly aura at all times).

"Yes, I hope this child will be born soon." Kyona said, rubbing her stomach.

"I am sorry to say that you have two more months at least." Óin said.

Kyona sighed. She hoped that those months would fly by.

-oOo-

And fly by they did. Kyona thought her stomach had been big, with the additional two months she was absolutely miserable. She could barely walk, she couldn't sit comfortably, and lying down brought her no peace. Not to mention that the baby was practically sitting on her bladder making her have to pee more than she thought possible. She was ready to get the child out of her.

The mine had been operating for two months and they had not hit a particularly rich area yet, which was disappointing. They were about to give up when they finally hit home. Silver, ebony-onyx, sapphire, and diamonds in a mind blowing amount. Thorin was extremely happy, Kyona noticed.

It was about a week after they had found the abundance when Thorin came up to their suit to spend some much needed time with his wife. Kyona was sprawled out on a low lying couch wearing nothing but a thin night slip. He smiled at her, he thought her beautiful, in her heavily pregnant way. Thorin went through his normal routine of taking off the heavy robes and crown he had to wear all day and into a tunic and trousers. He came to the couch and propped her up to sit behind her, she reclined against him.

"How was your day?" He asked, his deep voice vibrating against her back.

"Miserable, just like yesterday, I had to pee at least 47 times and change positions constantly. I'm ready for our son to be born." She grumbled.

Thorin chuckled.

"Maybe this will brighten your day."

Kyona felt cold stones touch her collar bone and she looked down. A beautiful ebony onyx necklace adorned her neck. It was inlayed with sapphire and diamond with a sturdy silver chain connecting the stones. She gasped in delight.

"Oh Thorin, it's beautiful!"

"It was the first piece of jewelry made from the new mine, I thought you deserving of it." Thorin grinned.

"Thank you, I believe my day got better," She turned as much as her pregnant body would allow and kissed him deeply.

They kissed for a few moments until a sharp kick in her ribs knocked the air from her lungs.

"Aulë, that child is trying to kill me!" Kyona gasped and rubbed her ribs. "First making me pee all the time and now he's trying to make me stop breathing, what's next?!" She said sarcastically.

"He will be here soon enough, do not worry yourself. All good things come to those who wait."

"I know, I am just tired of being pregnant,"

"I am tired of waiting," Thorin muttered.

The couple lapsed into comfortable silence as they enjoyed each other's presence.

"Thorin, what will we name him?" Kyona asked.

"I do not know, normally sons are named with a name similar to their father's or an ancestral name. Perhaps Tháin, it sounds similar to my father's and yet will be purely his own. If it is a girl we can name her whatever we see fit." Thorin explained.

"It will be a boy, I assure you. So, Tháin it is then!"

"I wonder what Kíli's reaction shall be if it is a boy, he has his heart set on a baby girl."

"Eh, he'll sulk for a few days then he'll realize that there is a child that he has to play with."

"Need I tell you that babies are quite boring for their first months of life? I was sorely disappointed when Ferin and Dís were born."

"Ferin?"

The mood grew solemn very quickly.

"…My brother, h-he was killed in the battle of Azanulbizar." Thorin's voice faltered for a moment.

"I'm sorry," She said, running a hand down his cheek.

"I cannot believe that I have not spoken of this to you…"

"It's alright, I see it pains you."

Thorin took a shuddering breath.

"He and I were much like Fíli and Kíli, except I had to live with the guilt of letting my little brother die."

"That must have been so hard on you." Kyona said softly.

"Yes, it took me years to come to terms with my guilt… I still miss him. You and he would have gotten along grandly. It would not have surprised me if you had fallen in love with him instead of me." Thorin ran his fingers through Kyona's hair. It had grown back nicely from its cropped state.

"I don't know, I fell for you pretty quick," Kyona smirked.

"He was the flirter, the second born. He did not have the responsibilities of being the heir, giving him time for the pleasures of life, like love. But have been blessed with a beautiful wife and a child. More than I ever hoped for." Thorin wrapped his arms around her and laid his hands on her womb.

"I have more than I had ever even thought of! A husband and child wasn't even a concept for me… but I am glad to be where I am."

She leaned into him more and closed her eyes, feeling comfortable for the first time in six months.

* * *

**AN: Daaaw, cute filler chapter. **

***NOTE* Yes, I know that ebony-onyx is not a sort of metal/stone. Ebony is actually a type of very hard black wood and onyx is a stone. I have my reasons for calling it that, though… **

**Well, what do you think? Boy or girl? Also, I wanted to let you know that this story will have A LOT more filler chapters than Ashes did… just how its gonna work out. But I will try my hardest to make it entertaining :)**

**Without further ado,**

**Please review.**

**(Oh my gosh that rhymes… 0-0)**


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